Behind Our Cell Design
The Intersection of High Efficiency and Low Cost
Suniva employs the latest innovations in cell processing techniques to drive leading-edge cell efficiencies at low manufacturing costs. Its proprietary technology and patents represent more than 16 years of silicon PV experience exclusively licensed from Georgia Tech’s University Center of Excellence in Photovoltaics (UCEP). Suniva employs a unique approach that is able to optimize cell processing parameters based upon keen modeling insights, intimate materials knowledge and deep process know-how. We refer to our approach as “integrated cell design and development” (“ICEDD”). Suniva uses its intellectual property, patents and its design methodology to achieve superior cell performance and continues to improve efficiency through novel, yet simple processing techniques.
Suniva’s Technology Roadmap focuses on optimizing conventional cell processing technologies using proprietary techniques to enable us to bring 17+% efficient cells to approximately 20% efficient cells by early 2011 at industry-leading low cost. This would be a nearly 19% improvement in the state-of-the-art in what is already considered a mature technology. Our differentiator is gaining these efficiency improvements using our low-cost processing techniques. Suniva plans to implement 3 improvements in cell design that will result in the improvement in cell efficiency mentioned above.
- An improved set of screen-printed contacts. While screen-printing of solar cell gridlines is now a standard practice in the industry, Suniva has adjusted processing parameters and paste to improve contact performance.
- An improved high sheet-resistance emitter to increase response from the blue end of the solar spectrum (where photons are more energetic) and raise the current level of the device.
- An improved dielectric passivation layer to minimize recombination of electrons with holes and reflect light for a second pass through the active layer. By improving this passivation, fewer photogenerated carriers are lost at the surfaces and the power output of the cell is increased.
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